Microsoft Visual Studio is a complete set of development tools for building ASP.NET Web applications, Web Services, desktop applications, and mobile applications. 

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
    MCTS certifications provide the foundation for Microsoft Certification. These certifications are designed to help validate your skills on the features and functionality of key technologies. You can show your depth of knowledge in one specific technology, earn multiple MCTS certifications to show breadth across different technologies, or build on the MCTS to earn one of our Microsoft Certified Professional Developer certifications.

   Each MCTS certification on Visual Studio 2008 requires that you pass
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework, Application Development Foundation (5 Days) in addition to the exam related to the certification that you want to pursue. You only need to pass this exam once.

Note: If you currently hold an MCTS or MCPD certification on Visual Studio 2005 (Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0), you have already fulfilled this requirement and do not need to pass Exam 70-536 again; you only have to pass the exam related to the certification that you want to pursue.

Your goal	Certification	Exam
To create applications with compelling user interfaces with Windows Presentation Foundation that run on the Windows platform	MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Presentation Foundation Applications	Exam 70-502 TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Presentation Foundation Application Development 5 Days
To create distributed applications that communicate with servers or other applications in a connected or disconnected state	MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Communication Foundation Applications	Exam 70-503 TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Communication Foundation Application Development 5 Days
To create applications that host workflows for your organization	MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Workflow Foundation Applications	Exam 70-504 TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Workflow Foundation Application Development 4 Days
To create Windows-based applications that run on corporate servers or user desktop computers	MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Forms Applications	Exam 70-505 TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Forms Application Development 5 Days
To create data-driven applications that access data from various sources, such as SQL Server, Oracle, Microsoft Office Access, object data sources, XML, or other flat-file sources	MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Applications	Exam 70-561 TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Application Development 5 Days
To create Web-based applications that run on the ASP.NET platform and are hosted on Internet Information Server	MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Applications	Exam 70-562 TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Application Development 5 Days

Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework - Application Development Foundation , 5 Days

Developing applications that use system types and collections (15 percent)
•    Manage data in a .NET Framework application by using .NET Framework system types.
•    Manage a group of associated data in a .NET Framework application by using collections.
•    Improve type safety and application performance in a .NET Framework application by using generic collections.
•    Manage data in a .NET Framework application by using specialized collections.
•    Implement .NET Framework interfaces to cause components to comply with standard contracts.
•    Control interactions between .NET Framework application components by using events and delegates.

Implementing service processes, threading, and application domains in a .NET Framework application (11 percent)
•    Implement, install, and control a service.
•    Develop multithreaded .NET applications.
•    Create a unit of isolation for common language runtime within a .NET Framework application by using application domains.

Embedding configuration, diagnostic, management, and installation features into a .NET Framework application (14 percent)
•    Embed configuration management functionality into a .NET Framework application.
•    Create a custom Microsoft Windows Installer for .NET components by using the System.Configuration.Install
•    Manage an event log by using the System.Diagnostics namespace.
•    Manage system processes and monitor the performance of a .NET application by using the diagnostics functionality of the .NET Framework.
•    Debug and trace a .NET Framework application by using the System.Diagnostics namespace.
•    Embed management information and events into a .NET Framework application.

Implementing serialization and input/output functionality in a .NET Framework application (18 percent)
•    Serialize or deserialize an object or an object graph by using runtime serialization techniques.
•    Control the serialization of an object into XML format by using the System.Xml.Serialization namespace.
•    Implement custom serialization formatting by using the Serialization Formatter classes.
•    Access files and folders by using the File System classes.
•    Manage byte streams by using Stream classes.
•    Manage .NET Framework application data by using Reader and Writer classes.
•    Compress or decompress stream information in a .NET Framework application and improve the security of application data by using isolated storage.

Improving the security of .NET Framework applications by using the .NET Framework security features (20 percent)
•    Implement code access security to improve the security of a .NET Framework application.
•    Implement access control by using the System.Security.AccessControl classes.
•    Implement a custom authentication scheme by using the System.Security.Authentication classes.
•    Encrypt, decrypt, and hash data by using the System.Security.Cryptography classes.
•    Control permissions for resources by using the System.Security.Permission classes.
•    Control code privileges by using System.Security.Policy classes.
•    Access and modify identity information by using the System.Security.Principal classes.

Implementing interoperability, reflection, and mailing functionality in a .NET Framework application (11 percent)
•    Expose COM components to the .NET Framework and .NET Framework components to COM.
•    Call unmanaged DLL functions within a .NET Framework application, and control the marshalling of data in a .NET Framework application.
•    Implement reflection functionality in a .NET Framework application, and create metadata, Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL), and a PE file by using the System.Reflection.Emit namespace.
•    Send electronic mail to a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server for delivery from a .NET Framework application.

Implementing globalization, drawing, and text manipulation functionality in a .NET Framework application (11 percent)
•    Format data based on culture information.
•    Enhance the user interface of a .NET Framework application by using the System.Drawing namespace.
•    Enhance the text handling capabilities of a .NET Framework application, and search, modify, and control text within a .NET Framework application by using regular expressions.
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Exam 70-502: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Presentation Foundation Application Development, 5 Days Creating a WPF Application
•    Select an application type
•    Configure Event Handling
•    Configure commands
•    Configure page-based navigation
•    Configure application settings
•    Manage application responsiveness
•    Select and configure content controls
•    Select and configure item controls
•    Select and configure layout panels
•    Integrate Windows Forms controls into a WPF application
•    Create user and custom controls
•    Create and display two dimensional and three dimensional graphics
•    Create and manipulate documents
•    Add multimedia content
•    Manage binary resources
•    Manage images
•    Configure binding options
•    Bind to a data collection
•    Bind to a property of another element
•    Convert and validate data
•    Configure notification of changes in underlying data
•    Create a consistent user interface appearance by using styles
•    Change the appearance of a UI element by using triggers
•    Add interactivity by using animations
•    Share logical resource throughout an application
•    Change the appearance of a control by using templates
•    Localize a WPF application
•    Deploy for standalone access
•    Deploy to a partial trust environment
•    Deploy an XBAP application
•    Manage upgrades
•    Configure the security settings of an application deployment
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Exam 70-503: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Communication Foundation Application Development, 5 Days

Creating Services (19 percent)
•    Define Service contracts.
•    Define Data contracts.
•    Define Operation contracts.
•    Define Message contracts.
•    Process generic messages.

Exposing and Deploying Services (23 percent)
•    Create and configure service endpoints.
•    Manage consistency between life cycle, sessions, concurrency, and bindings.
•    Host a service in a managed application.
•    Host a service on a Web server.
•    Create custom behaviors.

Instrumenting and Administering Services (11 percent)
•    Implement end-to-end service tracing.
•    Monitor service health.
•    Log messages.
•    Dynamically configure the service by using the service model.
•    Implement inspectors.

Consuming Services (16 percent)
•    Create a service proxy.
•    Configure the client endpoint.
•    Call a service by using a service proxy.
•    Handle exceptions on clients.
•    Consume non-WCF services.

Securing Services (16 percent)
•    Implement transport-level security.
•    Implement message-level security.
•    Authenticate clients.
•    Authorize clients.
•    Impersonate clients.

Managing the Service Life Cycle (15 percent)
•    Manage instances.
•    Manage sessions.
•    Manage transactions.
•    Manage concurrency.
•    Manage consistency between instances, sessions, transactions, and concurrency.
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Exam 70-504: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Workflow Foundation Application Development , 4 Days

Creating and Hosting Workflows (14 percent)
•    Create state machine workflows.
•    Create sequential workflows.
•    Select workflow authoring mode.
•    Host a workflow and designer in an application.
•    Initialize and manage the workflow life cycle.
•    Modify a workflow at runtime.

Communicating with Workflows (23 percent)
•    Handle events from the host.
•    Call methods on the host.
•    Consume services from a workflow.
•    Expose workflow as a service.

Creating and Configuring Custom Activities (25 percent)
•    Create custom activities.
•    Create custom composite activities.
•    Define custom activity layout.
•    Add dependency properties.
•    Communicate with the host from a custom activity.
•    Customize activity serialization.

Applying Rules and Conditions (13 percent)
•    Write rule sets.
•    Define rule chaining, priority, and property dependency.
•    Change rules at runtime.
•    Execute rule sets.
•    Implement conditional branching logic.

Managing Transactions and Compensations (13 percent)
•    Create and manage transactional workflows.
•    Create and handle compensations.
•    Enlist batch process in a transaction.
•    Perform exception handling.
•    Handle cancellations.

Creating and Managing Runtime Services (12 percent)
•    Create a runtime service.
•    Hydrate and dehydrate workflows.
•    Track workflows.
•    Monitor workflows.
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Exam 70-505: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, Windows Forms Application Development, 5 Days

Creating a UI for a Windows Forms Application by Using Standard Controls
•    Add and configure a Windows Form.
•    Manage control layout on a Windows Form.
•    Add and configure a Windows Forms control.
•    Create and configure menus.
•    Create event handlers for Windows Forms and controls.

Integrating Data in a Windows Forms Application
•    Implement data-bound controls.
•    Manage connections and transactions.
•    Create, add, delete, and edit data in a connected environment.
•    Query data from data sources by using LINQ
•    Create, add, delete, and edit data in a disconnected environment.
•    Manage XML by using the XML Document Object Model (DOM).
•    Read, write, and validate XML by using the XmlReader class and the XmlWriter class.
•    Manage the print process by using print dialogs.
•    Construct print documents.
•    Enable security features for printing in a Windows Forms application
•    Create a customized PrintPreview component.

Enhancing Usability
•    Perform drag and drop operations.
•    Implement globalization and localization for a Windows Forms application.
•    Implement accessibility features
•    Create and configure multiple-document interface (MDI) forms.
•    Create, configure, and customize user assistance controls and components.
•    Persist Windows Forms application settings between sessions

Implementing Asynchronous Programming Techniques to Improve the User Experience
•    Manage a background process by using the BackgroundWorker component.
•    Change the appearance of a UI element by using triggers.
•    Implement an asynchronous method.
•    Create a composite Windows Forms control.
•    Create a custom Windows Forms control by inheriting from the control class
•    Create an extended control by inheriting from an existing Windows Forms control
•    Configure the installation of a Windows Forms application by using ClickOnce technology.
•    Install a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) browser application by using ClickOnce
•    Install a Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) application by using ClickOnce
•    Configure and work with Windows Vista User Account Control (UAC) by using ClickOnce deployments
•    Create a Windows Forms setup application.
•    Set appropriate security permissions to deploy the application.
•    Configure Trusted Application deployments
•    Configure security features in an application.
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Exam 70-561: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ADO.NET Application Development, 5 Days

Connecting to Data Sources (12 percent)
•    Manage connection strings.
•    Manage connection objects.
•    Work with data providers.
•    Handle and diagnose database connection exceptions.

Selecting and Querying Data (22 percent)
•    Build command objects.
•    Query data from data sources.
•    Retrieve data source data by using the DataReader.
•    Manage data by using the DataAdapter or the TableAdapter.
•    Execute an asynchronous query.
•    Handle special data types.
•    Query data sources by using LINQ.
•    Manage exceptions when selecting data.

Modifying Data (24 percent)
•    Manage transactions.
•    Manage data integrity.
•    Update data.
•    Manage exceptions when modifying data.
•    Transform data by using LINQ.

Synchronizing Data (15 percent)
•    Monitor event notifications.
•    Cache data.
•    Manage update conflicts between online data and offline data.
•    Partition data for synchronization.
•    Implement Synchronization Services.

Working with Disconnected Data (16 percent)
•    Manage occasionally connected data.
•    Programmatically create data objects.
•    Work with untyped DataSets and DataTables.
•    Expose a DataTableReader from a DataTable or from a DataSet.
•    Work with strongly typed DataSets and DataTables.

Object Relational Mapping by Using the Entity Framework (11 percent)
•    Define and implement an Entity Data Model.
•    Query data by using Object Services.
•    Map data by using the Entity SQL Language.
•    Access entity data by using the EntityClient Provider.
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Exam 70-562: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, ASP.NET Application Development, 5 Days

Configuring and Deploying Web Applications (10 percent)
•    Configure providers.
•    Configure authentication, authorization, and impersonation.
•    Configure projects, solutions, and reference assemblies.
•    Configure session state by using Microsoft SQL Server, State Server, or InProc.
•    Publish Web applications.
•    Configure application pools.
•    Compile an application by using Visual Studio or command-line tools.

Consuming and Creating Server Controls (20 percent)
•    Implement data-bound controls.
•    Load user controls dynamically.
•    Create and consume custom controls.
•    Implement client-side validation and server-side validation.
•    Consume standard controls.

Working with Data and Services (17 percent)
•    Read and write XML data.
•    Manipulate data by using DataSet and DataReader objects.
•    Call a Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) service or a Web service from an ASP.NET Web page.
•    Implement a DataSource control.
•    Bind controls to data by using data binding syntax.

Troubleshooting and Debugging Web Applications (16 percent)
•    Configure debugging and custom errors.
•    Set up an environment to perform remote debugging.
•    Debug unhandled exceptions when using ASP.NET AJAX.
•    Implement tracing of a Web application.
•    Debug deployment issues.
•    Monitor Web applications.

Working with ASP.NET AJAX and Client-Side Scripting (15 percent)
•    Implement Web Forms by using ASP.NET AJAX.
•    Interact with the ASP.NET AJAX client-side library.
•    Consume services from client scripts.
•    Create and register client script.

Targeting Mobile Devices (5 percent)
•    Access device capabilities.
•    Control device-specific rendering.
•    Add mobile Web controls to a Web page.
•    Implement control adapters.

Programming Web Applications (17 percent)
•    Customize the layout and appearance of a Web page.
•    Work with ASP.NET intrinsic objects.
•    Implement globalization and accessibility.
•    Implement business objects and utility classes.
•    Implement session state, view state, control state, cookies, cache, or application state.
•    Handle events and control page flow.
•    Implement the Generic Handler.